The Pennsylvania Harness Horsemen’s Association and Harrah’s Philadelphia have announced that this year's $200,000 free-for-all pace on Sunday, May 29 at Harrah’s will be named the Dorothy ‘Moon’ Mullin Pace.
The Dorothy ‘Moon’ Mullin Pace will honour Dorothy Mullin for her longtime service at Liberty Bell Park’s Pennsylvania Harness Racing Commission office.
Working there for its entire 1963-1985 lifetime, Mullin was a stalwart during many changes at the northeast Philadelphia track, which was one of the nation’s outstanding raceways during the ‘60s and ‘70s. Serving as an executive assistant and secretary, she made many friends through the years, and was one of the last devotees to using the art of shorthand in her work. Her son, William ‘Bill’ Mullin, also known as ‘Moon’ (from the popular ‘Moon Mullins’ comic strip), has been active in racing for over three decades. He is a frequent competitor at Harrah’s Philadelphia, and has won both training and driving titles at the track now known as The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
The free-for-all event will have a new name each year and will change to honour outstanding contributors and noteworthy figures from the history of harness racing in the greater Delaware Valley area, especially those who were of primary importance in the era of Liberty Bell and/or Brandywine. Last year's inaugural edition was named in honour of Jerry Taylor, the prominent and colourful racehorse owner and lawyer, whose son, Howard, is the owner of one of the most successful and far-flung stables in North America.
The $200,000 Dorothy ‘Moon’ Mullin Free-For-All Pace will join the $200,000 Maxie Lee Free-For-All Trot and the $200,000 Betsy Ross Free-For-All Mares Pace on the leading card of the season for national-calibre older horses at Harrah’s Philadelphia, to be held the day before Memorial Day. The southeast Pennsylvania track will also host the $1.6 million Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championship Day for the best of the Keystone State-sired two-year-old pacers on Sunday, September 11.
Interested parties should contact the Harrah's Philadelphia race office at (484) 490-2222.
(PHHA / Harrah’s Philadelphia)